


Offspring

by Baknami



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Children Ewwww, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Post-Pacifist Route, family focus
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-20
Updated: 2016-02-14
Packaged: 2018-04-27 06:09:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5036833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Baknami/pseuds/Baknami
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Did you know?  I wasn't really sold on the idea of children, but... well, when I thought about getting old with everyone, being far older than any of you... I knew I wanted to give you all something that you can love, even during the times you can't love me.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Little Background

**Author's Note:**

> So my sister and I were talking about a different character in a different game that wasn't entirely human but could, in essence, marry and have children. I said that perhaps the character would probably go home to his dimension after his wife's death, and my sister got a little peeved. "Why would he do that? He has a family, right?"
> 
> "Well yeah, but..."
> 
> "And they've grown up knowing that their grandfather is a weird not-human, right? He can just keep being young forever and be like an uncle and have a huge family that he can love forever!"
> 
> And it got me thinking that maybe Frisk would want to keep a legacy for their Boss Monster family who doesn't age with them. Mostly it's just fun interactions with monsters and babies and stuff but it might get serious too later?

Monsters hadn't really been big on the whole “Wedding” scene. Most of the time a monster couple just gravitated towards each other until they were living together; parties were usually reserved for... well, every day of the week. As a result, when the human invited every single monster friend to a wedding, starring “yours truly”, nearly every monster flailed around, trying to figure out just what in the world to do about it.

Eventually the human, all dressed up prim and proper, got to see the entire group show up in basically their usual outfits because *sure, why not*. Apparently Toriel assumed that Frisk would just be happy to see everyone, no matter what their dress or appearance would be. “You always were right about, well, nearly everything, Mother,” Frisk said happily, taking their mother's floppy ears and pressing close to rub noses with her.

“Oh my goodness, you look gorgeous, darling~” Mettaton proclaimed, practically twirling in place, “Almost as gorgeous as me!”

“Yeah well...” Everyone instinctively took a step back when an unfamiliar *other human* approached. There were plenty of other humans around, but Frisk had very few human relatives of their own, so it was easy for the two families to remain separate. When this strange human walked up nonchalantly stood next to Frisk with a beaming smile, everyone watched expectantly, “As popular as you are, Mr. Mettaton, I think I prefer this human here.”

Papyrus squealed suddenly, making the newcomer jump in surprise. “WOW, YOU CHOSE DOE!?” Papyrus said. He nodding sagely, “OUR HUMAN HAS GOOD TASTE! THIS ONE'S CUTE!”

Frisk shrugged, and they smiled despite their spouse's sudden ear cleaning, “Everyone, this is, well, Doe,” Frisk said, the grin turning quite coy.

“You're only giving them my last name?” 'Doe' asked, cocking an eyebrow.

“That's all they know of *my* name, so it's only fair,” Frisk replied, nudging Doe's arm and causing their spouse to slink away with a chuckle.

“Fair enough, Doe it is. Can you introduce me? I know Mr. Papyrus, best mascot I've met in the diplomatic meetings. And, well, I didn't know you were friends with a TV star!” Mettaton twirled and crooned at Doe's words, and Sans chuckled, boney hands in his pockets.

“Well then, Frisk, you've got a lot of introductions to work on, don't you?”

The human laughed into their hand, “Well, the reception's still young, so I suppose we have a lot of time to catch Doe up, don't we?”

Toriel clapped her hands together and held the tips of her fingers to her mouth as Frisk introduced their mother to their brand new spouse.

\---

Frisk was a diplomat, the ambassador between humans and monsters. Doe was as well, that was, an ambassador raised up by the humans during the first contact. The two immediately hit it off, especially when they first brought Papyrus into the meetings. Doe eventually splayed out over the counter in laughter at the skeleton's antics, and Frisk met the other's eyes. “If every monster is as charming as this skeleton is, I highly doubt there will be any trouble.”

Frisk, smiling with youthful exuberance, nodded brightly and turned to Papyrus. This was going to be so much fun, bringing so many people together!

Frisk, was, at the time, just a child, and Doe, while not exactly a minor, was actually quite a spring chicken. Over time, the two of them became as close as siblings as they worked together to help form good laws that both sides could live and abide by. ...While Doe wanted all of the monsters to live happily on the surface, not everyone perfectly integrated into the new world. Some humans didn't like the sudden influx of strange, magical creatures in their homes, and most monsters were pretty unhappy with how many humans shunned them. Frisk and Doe had their work cut out for them...

...The two worked for years alongside other politicians and diplomats, especially King Asgore, to bring some peace, and eventually, with monsters spreading out around the world to visit other places on Earth, things eventually settled down. ...Doe didn't have the heart to tell Frisk that a lot of the reason was because Undyne had left with Alphys to Japan. That fish lady nearly sent a dozen bar-goers to the hospital with broken spines after she insulted all of them to their face and started a fight all by herself, and Frisk had to... ask if there weren't any mages around who liked to create magical monster sealing barriers during their repeated apologies.

As a result of the difficulty in mending broken bridges, it had taken a decade and a half before Frisk could truly say they were able to relax and just be. ...Of course, that meant that Doe was also sort of out of a job, so the two of them could relax together. When Doe invited Frisk out for a dinner date, Frisk hadn't actually expected a real date. They were still kind of in the “Papyrus date” mindset, so when the two diplomats sat down together to just talk about their own lives, Frisk wasn't really sure what to do with themself.

Things just got more awkward from there, although not always in a bad way. Sometimes Frisk would talk with Mettaton about what to wear for a night out with “a friend”, or they'd watch romance movies with Papyrus and Sans to take notes. The notes got more extensive when Alphys and Undyne returned from Japan with a slew of new content to learn from. ...Most of the notes eventually ended up in the garbage, however, when Frisk learned that relying on monsters to teach them “human dating rituals” was an exercise in stupidity.

Doe was the one with a family who could explain how to properly treat a (human) significant other, and while Frisk was not the one to sit back and let other people make the first move, it certainly didn't hurt to let Doe make the first step. Frisk just took the lead after that and whisked their spouse-to-be off their feet. The two were married after only a few months of dating, much to their families' surprise. Frisk found it a wonderful prank and was almost sad that Sans seemed to notice it a mile away, as he was wont to do.

In fact, he seemed to know a lot more than even the others knew, including Doe's first name, and what nickname they liked to call Frisk when they were alone. It didn't endear the human to their skeletal friend in the slightest; “Sans, how did you manage to send us yours and Papyrus' RSVP before I actually sent out the letters?” The skeleton shrugged, his usual clownish grin still plastered on his face. “you *do* realize that humans would think that spying is distasteful, yes...?” the human asked, hands on hips, “Why in the world did you think watching our dates was a good idea?”

Sans shrugged in reply, not answering the last question. “what do you want from me? it's hard to accept you giving up so much of yourself like this. besides, you hid this little fling from us anyway. doesn't sound like you trusted us enough to trust you.”

Doe pursed their lips, “A 'fling'?”

“That doesn't make your spying okay,” Frisk insisted, acting like a chastising parent as they shook a finger at the completely unrepentant skeleton. “Leave Doe alone, alright?”

Sans turned away but didn't apologize, and Frisk turned to their spouse apologetically, “Ahhh, my friends can be a little overprotective. I'm sure everything'll be okay though.”

“Just as long as you don't call me 'Doe' in private,” the spouse muttered, blushing in embarrassment. The poor diplomat really felt put on the spot at this point, as most of Frisk's friends were either giggling behind their hands or eyeing them suspiciously (They could have sworn they saw Undyne slice her thumb across her neck!). Imagine, being spied on by a skeleton who was afraid for Frisk, and having everyone be on his side about it! “I promise you, Mr. Sans. I'll take really good care of...” Man, it was hard referring to their *spouse* by their last name, “of Frisk.”

“pshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh,” Sans muttered, shrugging lightly with his smile still prevalent, “i ain't even afraid, kid 2.0. if you didn't treat our human right, they'd be the one who'll guilt you far before i do.”

Doe sighed, and Frisk shrugged back, a smile on their face. “Well, at least you know he's right...!” Yeah... that really made everyone feel better...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was looking up the name for Frisk, and the generally accepted name is a Swedish last name, which made me think that maybe the monsters only know Frisk's last name, and they could have any first name a player would want. Thus the running joke is that the monsters only really know Frisk and Doe's last names. ...I am not funny.
> 
> Speaking of, however, Doe is the anomaly that I'm afraid for. I wanted them to be as gender neutral as Frisk is, and at first I was going to let them just be a blank slate that tended to be off camera to cause as little disharmony with peoples' ideas of Frisk's future as possible, but then I realized that they're having kids and doing things that some people might not agree with anyway, and it wouldn't be fair to Doe to exist solely for baby making. Thus I decided to give them a personality and a bigger role in the story. I hope they're generally well accepted into the crazy family!
> 
> Fun Fact: Doe was originally going to be "Smith", but I found that was *too* generic, and John Doe/Jane Doe tends to be a name we give faceless, random people. Plus Doe is just the cutest name, I think. :V
> 
> PS: I always imagined Frisk to be around Ninten/Ness/Lucas MOTHER ages, around 10-13 years old. Thus that would make them around 25 as of this story, so uh... hope that helps?


	2. Domestic Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk and Doe have an entire year to get the other monsters used to them, but one of the monsters refuses to be placated. What could be eating at his skull, anyway...?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted a few establishing shots of Doe to get people more acclimated to them before getting into other parts of the story. Feedback would be greatly appreciated, and thanks in advance!!

Time passed, and Doe soon began to get to know their spouse's various friends. Frisk managed to invite everyone over on various weekends when they were all free, and Doe even managed to find time to bring their own, mostly human, friends over as well. Undyne soon got over her initial distrust, and Alphys always seemed to be attached to the now middle aged person. ...Perhaps it was because the both of them were a little awkward in social situations.

Papyrus always enjoyed spending time with Frisk and Doe, as the three of them were already great friends beforehand. “I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY SANS IS SO AGAINST THIS. I ALWAYS THOUGHT HE'D WANT YOU TO BE HAPPY.” The skeleton lamented during one of his visits.

Frisk chuckled at the thought as they chopped vegetables next to each other. The two of them always ended up making some sort of dinner together, and it was nice to just talk and mince side by side, “Maybe he's jealous? Now your attention's been drawn away from him even more.”

Papyrus sighed, not entirely convinced, “HE'S ALWAYS SO BUSY, AND NOW HE'S MAKING SUCH WEIRD...”

“Don't worry about it so much,” Frisk said softly, a smile gracing their lips as they chopped, “Doe and I have been through hardships before, and this isn't anything new~”

“I JUST WANT TO BE FRIENDS WITH EVERYONE...”

“...Me too, Pappy, me too...” Frisk sighed, trying not to be melancholy but finding it increasingly hard with Papyrus's sad whines. There, the two silently tossed the minced vegetables into a bowl, too busy thinking to actually speak to each other.

“Where's the fire!?” Doe asked suddenly, sliding into the kitchen on their socks.

Frisk was only a little short with their spouse because they had lost a lot of their joviality the past minute or two. “Doe, there's no fire. What would even suggest there being a fire here anyway?” Aside from them being in the kitchen while Papyrus was cooking.

“It's just that Papyrus wasn't screaming for more than a minute, so I assumed you both had died,” Doe replied with a smirk, approaching to kiss their spouse. Frisk dodged the lips with a distasteful frown.

“We were talking about some of Pappy's brother problems. We're allowed to not shout, okay?”

“DEAR FRIEND FRISK, IT'S OKAY!” Papyrus said suddenly, noticing how his friend's eyebrows knitted. Frisk turned to look up quizzically at the skeleton, and he smiled, “I JUST WANT EVERYONE TO BE FRIENDS.”

Frisk sighed. They *had* been pretty short with their honey bear. “Sorry, Doe.”

Doe smiled and reached out to take their spouse's waist and kiss their cheek. “I understand. Sorry I joked at the wrong time.” Doe then looked up at the skeleton and mouthed a “thank you” for keeping them from having an argument. Papyrus was just happy he could save *one* relationship.

\---

...Although Sans had found himself ignoring or outright avoiding Doe and Frisk during their first year of marriage; at least Toriel enjoyed spending time with her child and their spouse. There were some days Toriel had specifically tried to invite Sans along on one of her excursions to the Frisk-Doe household, but every time the skeleton suddenly had “something else to do”. “Oh well!” the former queen proclaimed, “That just means I have two adorable kids to pamper all to myself!” She practically bleated in laughter at her joke and Frisk clutched their sides as they giggled in unison.

Despite all of her enthusiasm for caring for her children, Doe began to feel a little pampered and childish, much to their chagrin. The diplomat was able to speak about this without being too, well, undiplomatic, however. “Please, Ms. Toriel, we're both adults here... there's no need to treat us so... well...”

Frisk laughed at the embarrassment written on their spouse's face, “Awww, Mom just likes to spoil her children, and you're an in-law now~ At least she's better than most mothers-in-law, right?”

“If you want me to hold back, I can, Doe. ...I suppose I can be a little overbearing. It's just so hard when my child is so cute!” Doe's lips turned into a thin line as Toriel grabbed her child and hugged them close, and the two laughed and snuggled into each others' hold.

Frisk noticed the look after a moment of hugging and kissing, and they looked over at their spouse, “What, are you jealous? Do you want a hug too, dear?”

“No no no I am perfectly content right over- Frisk don'tyoudareInoooooooooooo!” Too late, Doe was soon caught in their spouse's clutches and the two were covered in a giant goat hug. “...Well... it *is* pretty warm....”

“Mission successful!” Frisk shouted, giggling a bit as they basked in their family's love.

\---

There were still times the couple could go out on dates, and what better time to do that than when Mettaton was in town!? It was even better because when Mettaton toured in the area, Napstablook could come with him. The ghost didn't mind being with their cousin, but they just never really took to the whole “travel” thing and preferred staying in one place. Thus, Mettaton tried every few months to come back and perform with his special cousin, and it was during these times that Frisk was always invited to come backstage.

“Oh man, this is the first time I'll be seeing Mettaton since the wedding. We really didn't get to talk last time...” Doe muttered to themself, “Do you think he'll give me an autograph?”

“Dear, I'm sure he'll have a dozen presigned pictures just for you,” Frisk replied with a smile, “We'd better be ready to turn our room into a shrine for him or he'll be really disappointed.”

“The scariest thing is I can't tell if you're telling the truth or not,” Doe chuckled in reply as the two arrived at the star's door. Doe raised their hand and knocked two times before a ghost popped their head out and caused the diplomat to jump.

“oh nooooo...” the ghost whimpered, noticing Doe's fear, “i didn't... mean to scare you... i-i-i just... wanted to know... who it was...”

“Hey Enbee!” Frisk said, cheering Napstablook on like they liked, “Don't worry about Doe, they're just not used to ghosts as much as most people are.”

“Most people...?” Doe muttered, feeling embarrassed at being called out on it, “It's not like ghosts normally go out and meet people anyway...” Frisk poked their spouse's side with a good-natured smile.

“Hey Enbee, is Mettaton decent?” Frisk asked, ignoring their muttering spouse.

“decent...?” Napstablook asked, confused, “he's always decent.” They then retreated into the dressing room, and the couple could hear the two cousins talk to each other as Frisk tested the door and tentatively opened it.

There was a rectangular robot with brightly blinking lights on his chest. He was charging himself next to a vanity, but when the couple entered the room, he unplugged himself and the lights flashed a heart on his chest. “Oh, they ARE here!” Mettaton crowed, practically leaping up and twirling around on his one wheel, “Greetings, my darlings! Frisk, Dear, you look positively radiant!”

“Thanks, Mettaton,” Frisk replied with a smile, reaching out for a handshake and getting a hug instead. Doe, meanwhile, was confused and scratching their head. Frisk laughed as they got a squeeze, but they turned to look at their spouse's confused face. “Something wrong dear?” They asked, cocking their head at the diplomat.

“Well, I mean, it's probably nothing...” Doe began, scratching awkwardly at their cheek, “...but when you were on stage, Mr. Mettaton, you looked more... you know...” They used their hands to accentuate curves, “Human. ...Now you look... less so.”

Mettaton crooned as he put down his beloved friend and Napstablook went to go listen to music in the corner, “My Mettaton EX body uses a lot of battery power, so to save energy I stay in here between shows. ...People have been wanting me to play an evil robot or cyborg like this, but I just don't *do* evil.” Frisk coughed. *A lot*.

Doe blinked at their spouse, a little confused at Frisk's sudden hacking, but they nodded in response to the star, “That makes sense. You're certainly very rectangular, Mr. Mettaton!” ...Doe was sweating and they swerved to look at Frisk, who was tittering laughingly at the posing and sparkling robot. “...Are there... any kits to make *me* look more rectangular...?”

There was silence for a moment, and the two turned to look at the sweating and trembling human. Frisk let out a soft barking laugh, but when Doe turned bright red and looked miserable, the Monster Ambassador immediately quit laughing and took two large steps forward to curl into their spouse's side, “Oh dear...! I love you just the way you are! You don't have to look more rectangular for me!”

“No one can look as amazing as *this* rectangle, no matter how many rectangular kits one uses!” Mettaton yelled expressively, nearly dancing right there in the room, “Besides, the two of you are such a cute couple, I would never imagine you two changing at all to look like anyone else! You two must get along so well- I'm surprised you're not already making tiny little fleshy humans!”

Doe coughed and blushed even brighter as Frisk drew their spouse even closer. The ambassador gave Mettaton a delighted grin, “I just wanted to mention that to you. We probably won't be able to see your shows in person soon. We *are* expecting in a few months.”

A giant exclamation point appeared on Mettaton's shining chest, “Am I good or am I *good*!?” He practically screeched, zooming forward on the wheel and picking up the couple with a squeal, “I knew it! I knew you two were glowing!! You simply *must* send me all the pictures, darlings!! I suppose I should talk to my agent about working on some children's shows! There's no way your little ones *won't* grow up seeing my beautiful face every Saturday!”

Doe whimpered a little at the touching, but Frisk seemed delighted at the thought, “I think Doe would like that. They watch all of your movies!”

“DEAR!! Don't...!” Doe squirmed and tried not to blush even brighter as Mettaton crooned.

“I'll need to give you some extra signed pictures for such a big fan!” the robot said, dropping the two (almost literally, Frisk had to grab and make sure Doe didn't tumble to the floor) and rolling over to the vanity and pulling out many *many* pictures of his beautiful faces, both rectangular and human. “...Although, I wasn't expecting to give them all to you... Where is that beautifully handsome skeleton friend of yours? What was his name, Papyrus? I invited him to come too...”

Frisk opened their mouth and turned away awkwardly, “Well... You know... he's been pretty busy. There's been a lot on his mind recently.”

Mettaton handed off the War-and-Peace thick stack of pictures to Doe as he glared at Frisk, “I bet it's that brother of his, isn't it? That tiny skeleton abuses that poor boy's love all the time! If he just stayed put for one moment, I'd have such an earful for him...!” Frisk pursed their lips as the robot began smoking in rage, “Anyone who doesn't watch MTT is one who doesn't deserve to live!”

Doe cleared their throat as Frisk began to sweat and made a swiping motion across their neck, “W-w-w-well...!” the diplomat began, suddenly realizing just why Frisk had mentioned not to *ever* get on Mettaton's bad side, and noticing that perhaps the internet rumors about the robot previously being a killer weren't just rumors... “It's nothing that bad... I think he just doesn't like me very much, though I'm not sure why.”

“Blooky!” Mettaton shouted, and the ghost slid up next to their cousin as he placed his hand on his corner and swooned, “Hurry! Catch me!!” Napstablook watched as the robot fell backwards, through the ghost, and slammed to the floor.

“sorry, met...” Napstablook murmured, staring at the rectangle on the floor.

A heart appeared on Mettaton's chest once again. “It's not your fault, darling! At least you tried!” He then pushed himself back up and pointed dramatically at the ceiling, his chest changing back to anger, “The only one who is at fault is that pun-loving lazy skeleton! To think he would dislike such a dear and beloved fan of Mettaton's! I should have Dr. Alphys blog angrily about it for me (as I'm far too busy to do it myself, of course)!!”

Doe shook their head and shrugged. “I don't mind it so much, but be that as it may, I'm sure I can still get some of these pictures to Mr. Papyrus. It wouldn't do to have him miss out on such fabulous paraphernalia.”

“Aren't you a sweet one! Sharing my love to the world! You're getting closer to being like me every day!” Mettaton crooned, and Frisk smiled at their spouse as Doe blushed, “I hope everything turns out perfectly for you two! I've always wanted to see a baby human in real life...!”

Frisk tried not to sweat, “We'll do our best to arrange a play date, but for now...” Doe and Frisk's eyes met, and they turned back to the star, “We should probably be getting home. Thank you for everything, Mettaton.”

“You two darlings take good care of yourselves! I'll see you soon!!”

As the two got into their car, Doe blushed deeper in embarrassment when Frisk realized that their spouse certainly hoped that was the case and then teased them mercilessly about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My mom watches every movie that has Nicholas Cage in it, no matter how bad it is. I have yet to figure out why.
> 
> Doe therefore is the type of human to unironically pay to watch a movie where Mettaton feeds himself grapes while rose petals are showered over him.
> 
> PS: My friends have stated that the real reason Sans is nowhere to be seen is probably because he is making out with every single human in the world, probably simultaneously. With all of the fanfics going on, I do not doubt this at all.


	3. Jessie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Napstablook tends to visit the Frisk-Doe household when they're feeling particularly down, but one day, Frisk isn't at work and the house isn't so empty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we finally get to the point that the story is supposed to be about. Napstablook! ...No wait that wasn't it.
> 
> Regardless, I'd like to give a shout out to two of my great friends. One of them really inspires me to keep going and helps me with puns and jokes during the writing, and the other is really critical and gives me lots of good feedback.
> 
> Speaking of him, he mentioned that he found my Blooky TOO depressed. I suppose I was thinking about Enbee at the RUINS more than the one at his snail farm. Sorry if it seems over the top! Feedback like this is greatly appreciated and I really adore it. I really have no qualms with going back through my stories and editing them to make them flow or fit better~

Love of Family was something Frisk had been getting very much used to for many years; they had Toriel for so long to snuggle and love, but a spouse was just as special, if not more so. The more people they loved, the more love they felt they could hold. Nothing could be more beautiful than the time the two of them were able to bring home a child of their own.

The first one who was able to meet the newest member of the Frisk-Doe family was Napstablook. Frisk was surprised when, as they were preparing some lunch for themself, a familiar ghostly apparition slid through the walls and stopped when they noticed Frisk. “oh. oh oh nooooooo...” Napstablook whimpered, suddenly realizing they weren't alone, “i'm sorry, i just... you and doe are usually out of the house and i... sometimes... come here to nap... and now you're here... and i'm intruding... and i'm so sorry i...”

“Enbee, it's okay,” Frisk said suddenly, holding their hand out to keep the ghost from floating straight out, “Come back in, I've been a little bored anyway. Come here, let's talk.”

“is it... is it really okay?” Napstablook whimpered, floating into the kitchen and immediately flopping onto the floor. Frisk continued preparing their sandwich as the ghost mewled on the floor unhappily.

“Do you want to talk about it?” The human asked.

“...no...” Napstablook said softly, ectoplasmic tears falling on the floor. Frisk wondered offhandedly how they were going to clean that up before someone slipped.

“Well, you're always welcome to spend time here if you don't want to go home.” ...The house went quiet again, with only a little whimpering to remind Frisk of another living(?) thing in the house. Eventually Frisk finished their sandwich and began eating at the table as Napstablook curled up even further and eventually went quiet.

The melancholy scene was interrupted when a soft wail eventually grew in intensity, and Frisk was up and jogging out of the room. Napstablook blinked, and curiosity got the better of them; they were soon up and floating to the second floor to a softly colored bedroom. The ghost poked their eyes up into the room, hiding out as Frisk entered the room and nearly skidded to a halt next to the small cage-like object. “Oh oh oh oh Jessie Jessie shhhhh, it's okay dear, oh darling, what is it... What do you want?” They reached inside and picked up a bundle of blankets that were screaming and shouting.

...Was that the tiny human that they had talked about with their cousin? Napstablook floated up a little more to get a better look, and Frisk turned to smile at the ghost. “Oh Enbee. I think you're the first of our friends to come meet Jessie. Well, Toriel knows, but...” Jessie suddenly sucked in a breath and let out a piercing scream, and even Napstablook winced at the sudden noise, “...Just a sec, I think she needs her diaper changed...”

Napstablook watched as Frisk walked over to a table and began their work, and the ghost followed them with a curious look. “s-she's a baby human...?” they asked, completely befuddled.

“She's only a few days old.” Frisk explained as they did their work, “Jeez, you're lucky you can't smell...” they muttered offhandedly.

“she's a baby... but doesn't that mean... you'll die...?” Napstablook asked, eyes widening at the thought. “why did you pass on your soul now? you're still so young, why-”

“I'm not a Boss Monster, Enbee,” Frisk said with a smile, “I'm going to die anyway. Humans don't really live past a hundred and twenty years anyway.”

“you're going to die!?” Napstablook whimpered in horror. The sudden fear in the room caused Jessie to cry, and Frisk let out a tsk as they picked up their daughter and held Jessie close.

“Oh, Jessie, shhhh, it's okay, it's okay...”

“y-y-you're going to die... and you didn't even tell me...?” the ghost cried, ectoplasmic tears, once again, spilling from their eyes.

“Enbee, please, I'm not even thirty. I've still got plenty of decades to go.”

“but one hundred and twenty years is nothing to me... to us!” Napstablook sobbed, tears forming hands just so they could hide their eyes as they wept bitterly, “you're going to die and leave us all alone...”

This really wasn't helping anything, and Jessie couldn't stand the crying just as much as Frisk. Eventually the parent walked out of the room just to separate the two of them and hopefully keep the spiral from increasing. They walked back and forth in the living room, hoping to at least calm little Jessie down before Napstablook decided get off of the bedroom floor. They settled down at the couch and nuzzled their daughter softly, waiting for her to get tired out once more.

The room became very slightly, but noticeably, colder when the ghost slid down through the ceiling and dropped onto the living room floor, no longer crying but having, once again, lost the will to even get up. Frisk watched the ghost as they stared up at the ceiling. “Hey Enbee?” the parent whispered as they bounced Jessie in their arms, “Sorry I didn't tell you; I just assumed you knew.” Monsters seemed to know a bunch about human souls, so surely they'd know about their lifespans, right?

There was silence for a long while; Napstablook didn't seem to be all that interested in speaking up at that moment. “I'm gunna put Jessie back to bed, okay? And I'm going to throw out the garbage?”

The ghost didn't reply, so Frisk took the time to care for their daughter the way they were supposed to. Jessie had already drifted back off, and so the parent took the time to place their daughter in the crib before finding a puddle of ectoplasmic tears that were once Napstablook's hands. They sighed at the extra work and began to clean up the table and move to toss the dirty diaper.

“humans don't have bosses... like asgore...?” Napstablook asked suddenly, when Frisk walked over them, “none of you live... as long as we do?”

“Not really,” Frisk replied with a shake of their head. “Enbee... that's why we have to work hard so that people can remember us. We leave behind our work, and memories, and even our children, so that we'll be in your memory. I'll die someday, yes, but as long as you want to remember me, I'll never leave you or anyone.”

Napstablook didn't seem to move or speak, so that was Frisk's cue to continue to the garage to toss the diaper and walk back inside to wash their hands. “Did you know? I wasn't really sold on the idea of children, but Doe wanted one or two, and... well, when I thought about getting old with everyone, being far older than any of you... I knew I wanted to give you all something that you can love, even during the times you can't love me.”

“you had a child... for us?” Napstablook asked from their place on the floor. There was silence for a long moment as Frisk watched the small ghost, and then, surprisingly (to the ghost), their friend settled down on the floor themself, and they stared up at the ceiling with their second friend met under Mt. Ebott.

“I want you to be happy. I want you all to be happy...” Frisk explained, hands with entwined fingers on their stomach. “So please, I want you to love Jessie as much as you love me.”

There was silence for quite a while, until... “...i think i'd just weigh her down...” he sniffled.

Frisk reached out and placed a hand on (and through) Napstablook's head, “I'm sure nothing could be further from the truth.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this was the point where I started really considering putting this up online. I haven't been doing this for many years, despite writing a bunch in the interim, so this is kind of a new thing for me. The fact that people are enjoying it, even if only a little, really fills me with determination. Thanks so much for everyone's support!


	4. Taking Things Seriously

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toriel is the next to arrive, and the two have a "heart-to-heart" on their "family day" together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one took so long to get out. I actually was really unhappy with how Frisk was speaking through some of it and I actually had to gut a whole big plot point and work around it. I still have a (slight) backlog so it's not like I didn't have anything to put out, it was just me making sure I put out something that I was pleased with instead of just trying to remain active.

The first person Frisk told about Jessie was Toriel, but the woman was unable to jump up to the Frisk-Doe household, as three years ago she became the principal of a large human/monster school. When she finally was able to pull herself away, she immediately went to her child's home, whereupon Frisk happily invited their mother in. “Jessie's sleeping right now. I'm sorry, but she's met Enbee already. You know them, right?”

“Of course I do~ They're Napstablook, the snail farmer, right? How else was I supposed to get all of my snails for my pies?” Toriel practically giggled. “They weren't very spirited for such a young one.”

Frisk chuckled at the joke, smiling because they loved their mother too much to groan. To be fair, sometimes the groan was part of the fun. “They learned that I was going to die in a hundred years and cried on my living room floor until Doe came home. My back got a good rest at least.”

“I'm sorry they felt so bad, but all clouds have a sliver of silver...?” Toriel tittered as they entered Jessie's room. She tiptoed over to the crib and held a paw to her mouth to keep from squealing. “She's *beautiful*.”

Frisk shrugged. “She looks like a pink sausage to me, although it might be because of Sans' hot dogs.” ...At the mere mention of Sans, however, the two fell into an uneasy silence. Apparently it was a tense subject for Toriel as well, which seemed strange. Frisk watched their mother smooth out Jessie's hair as the baby slowly breathed in and out, and her parent scratched at their jaw, awkwardly staring at the wall across the way. “How is he, by the way? He still hasn't visited, and it's been nearly a year. Papyrus tries to talk about him, but he's been closing himself up more. I'm worried for him; does he hate Doe that much...?”

“I think we're all worried about him, my child...” Toriel murmured. “We stay in contact on our cell phones, but most of the time...” Frisk's mother pulled out her phone and flipped through the texts, “I send him some daily jokes and he only responds with a laughing emote. I think something's wrong.”

Frisk took some time to rub at their lips in thought, looking rather peeved. The older they got, the more Sans' mysterious shenanigans began to grate on their nerves, “Ugh, that stupid skeleton. Whatever he's whining about, it's hurting everyone around him; the least he could do is talk about it. But you know him. We...”

“...wouldn't understand,”  
“...Wouldn't understand,” Toriel spoke up over Frisk, and the two chuckled a bit before the child rolled their eyes. “All this secrecy is making me want to smash some vegetables into paste.” It was the best way for them to release pent-up energy, now that they could actually smash things instead of playfully petting them.

“I'm sure he has his reasons. I just wish he'd open up to us a little more. Ahh, my child...?” Frisk looked up, cocking their head to the side in question, “May I... hold her...?”

“Knock yourself out, but be careful, the kid sleeps like dead weight. Gets that from Doe,” Frisk snorted, looking even more peeved, “My 'Darling' isn't allowed to fall asleep on me during movie nights anymore.”

Toriel giggled again as she reached down to pick up the sleeping Jessie and cradle her close to her bosom. Frisk was happy to let someone else care for Jessie. They didn't regret having her, not in the least, but Doe was the one with the experience and the “Master's Degree” and all that, and so they were the one who got to keep working. Doe even did their part to help with Jessie (they were the happiest parent in the world when they held their daughter in their arms), but this wasn't Frisk's original plan. Children were cool, but babies were hard to talk to or socialize with. They wondered how they were going to get through the terrible twos if they were already getting cabin fever after a week, tops. They wondered if they should just start inviting Papyrus over more. It wasn't like Sans was there to keep him company anymore; perhaps he was as lonely as they were.

They didn't think they would be thinking this, but they missed Flowey. “Hey, is uh... is Flowey okay at your apartment? He hasn't been treating you badly, has he?” ...He had been living with Frisk for so long, and when Doe and they moved into their new house, he had stayed in the Frisk-Doe household, but with his anger troubles, they were afraid he would say or do something to bother Jessie. “I didn't want to force him on you...”

“I've gotten quite used to him during our years together,” Toriel replied matter-of-factly, bouncing Jessie a little in her arms, “He hasn't been a bother at all. In fact, without Sans coming over as much, it's been a lot better; they're not getting into fights and trashing the house.”

Frisk sighed. They almost thought it would be better if they could take Flowey off of Toriel's hands for a moment. A screaming, curse-filled conversation was still a conversation...

Toriel didn't seem to notice Frisk's thoughtful frown and just walked in circles around the room, cooing at the baby. The parent quietly excused themself and wandered down the stairs to the first floor just in time to hear a knock on the door. Who could that be? Had they invited someone and then forgot about it? With a quizzical look, the human walked up and opened the door; they then promptly began to sweat bullets.

Former-King Asgore lifted a fuzzy paw and smiled, “Good afternoon! I heard from Doe that you two have a new daughter, and I wanted to offer my congratulations!” He held up a package that was undoubtedly filled with baby shower items.

“Ohhhhh man,” Frisk whimpered, causing Asgore to realize something was amiss. His smile slowly faded, and Frisk let out a groan. “Mom's here. I think she'd prefer to have it just be a family thing today.”

“...Ah.” Asgore finally squeaked, visibly deflating. “I guess I should come over another time...?”

Frisk cocked their head and gave a sympathetic smile. “I'll tell Doe when a better day would be, and they can relay it to you. Thanks for understanding, Uncle.”

Asgore nodded, and he reached out to offer the parent his gift. “I might as well hand this off then. I'll see you around, Frisk.”

“Yes, take care of Doe for me,” they replied, waving a bit as Asgore lumbered off, shoulders hunched in defeat. Frisk sighed deeply; they could hardly believe that their mother still refused to let him in on their family dates. They supposed she still didn't see him as part of the family, which was really a huge problem for all of them, to be perfectly honest.

After closing the door, Frisk moved to the couch to unwrap the gift basket. Toriel found them as the ribbon fell away, “Who was that, my child?”

“Huh?” Frisk asked, looking up at their mother as she rocked Jessie and descended the stairs, “Oh, Uncle came to visit. Gave me a baby shower gift.”

“Unc...?” Toriel's face scrunched up reflexively when it hit her, “Oh, Asgore.” Her eyes took on an accusatory glint, “I'm surprised he didn't stay.”

“He came here to give a gift, not ask you to come back to him,” Frisk replied, looking at one of the sleeping onesies from the box, “Doe probably told him about Jessie the day she was born.” Aww, Jessie would probably look good in this color purple.

“Well, at least he realizes that these days are family days,” Toriel snorted, nose twitching as she sat next to her child. Frisk, meanwhile, rolled their eyes with an exasperated sigh.

“I know you're on speaking terms, but this is still a little much,” Frisk said suddenly, looking up at their mother, “He knows he did stupid things, Mom, and he's really sorry for them. I'm not telling you to start nuzzling him or anything, but at least accept his apology? Let him be an uncle? I did, and I was the one whom he tried to kill.”

“He called for the death of *six people*, Frisk. He's a murderer.”

Frisk took a deep breath and looked away. “...There are other people who did bad things and repented before. At least their souls were used to some benefit. ...I think they were happy to help, too.” Besides, both Asriel and Chara were far from perfect, but the last thing Toriel needed was to hear that.

The Boss Monster sat in silence as Frisk continued to look at the different clothes (“Oh my goodness, Uncle bought some in different sizes too! She can grow into them!”), and the two of them soon encountered an awkward silence. “...I can make lunch if you want? I'll have to make Jessie's milk though. Need to heat the milk and all that.”

“Perfect. I'll make our lunch and you can make Jessie's~” Toriel said, standing up to put Jessie back in her crib while Frisk jogged into the kitchen.

“I'll need to get a baby carrier when I get the chance,” Frisk mentioned when Toriel returned, “I never thought about it until now, but I really should have her around as much as possible. It's such a pain to have to go up to her room every time she needs something.”

Toriel chuckled softly, “Dear, if you only do things because they're pains, how would Jessie feel to know you only take care of her because she's an annoyance?” Frisk looked up, blinking confused, owlish eyes, “Think about it. You have compared her to a sausage, said she is 'dead weight', and now say it is a pain to tend to her. When was there a time you genuinely complimented her and told her how much you love her?”

Frisk was silent for a long, long while, their eyes widening further as something ended up lodged in their chest. They chuckled for a moment and turned away to think about that for a moment. “I uh... well, I mean, she'll get cuter later is all, and eventually I won't have to carry her, and man, that'll be great!”

“F-Frisk,” Toriel began, looking a little disappointed in her child, “You've had months to prepare for this, and you haven't been taking this seriously at all. Are you sure you're ready for a responsibility as big as this? I want to do what I can to help, but you know I can't be here all the time.

Frisk slowed their work down as they let their mother's words sink in. It wasn't that they were unhappy with Jessie, it's just that... it might have been a little quick... Doe was the one who wanted Jessie the most, and Frisk had mostly agreed for the sake of their extended family. Now, they were beginning to understand that maybe they should be taking this as seriously as Doe and Toriel were. At that thought, Frisk let out a deep, unhappy sigh. “I see what you mean, Mother. I-I hadn't thought about it that way. Jessie doesn't deserve me putting her down so casually, even if she can't understand it now. ...I'll get too used to it.” They looked up at the monster and smiled softly. “I'm going to do my best. It's a little hard when she cries, but when she smiles and we play, it warms my heart. I want her near me so I can see her smiling all the time.”

“Just keep that in mind as you think about her. I assure you that things will get better soon, and you know we'll always be here to assist you. You know that, right?”

“Of course!” Frisk said, sidling up to their mother and kissing her cheek, “and I wouldn't have it any other way!”


	5. Jessie Jelly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, Frisk just needs some time off, and when there's a person in need of a baby sitter, who you gunna call!?

Toriel's attempt to cheer Frisk up helped them improve their attitude dramatically. The more they thought about Jessie in a positive light, the more they found themself enjoying their time with their daughter. They even took some time to go walking outside. They thought that it would be bothersome to have people approach and ask about her, but when they thought of Jessie as beautiful and cute, it was easier to see why other people thought the same way. No longer was the tiny girl a pink sausage. She was more like a... pink tomato. But tomatoes were cuter, Frisk found.

Despite their change in attitude, Frisk found that after a few months passed, they desired a little time alone. It had been months since they found some time to just be alone, without any worries. When they tried telling Doe about it, the two came to an understanding that Frisk would need to take some time off every once in a while. Thus, it was up to the two of them to try to find a babysitter during those times. What sort of person had no work, tons of time on their hands, and probably no one else around the house to miss them?

Papyrus was almost as fast as Sans when he was invited over for some babysitting training. The moment Papyrus arrived, Frisk kissed Doe and rushed out of the house with a maniacal giggle, passing by the skeleton and giving him a kiss on the cheekbone for good measure. Papyrus was confused. “I'VE NEVER SEEN THEM HAPPY TO *LEAVE* ME,” he remarked as he watched Frisk shoulder their bag and hop into their car.

“Don't worry about it, Mr. Papyrus. Frisk just needs some time to themself, you know?” Doe replied, bouncing Jessie in their arms. “Here's Jessie. Isn't she the cutest? I could just kiss her forever!”

“SHE HAS THE CUTEST FLUFF OF HAIR!” Papyrus crooned, walking forward and clapping his mitts, “HELLO LITTLE BABY HUMAN. I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL BE YOUR...”

Jessie burst into tears, and Doe winced softly. “Do you have a handle on your voice? Like, a volume control...?”

“CONTROL MY VOLUME? WHY WOULD I EVER...” Papyrus retreated when Jessie began sobbing and wriggling about, and the skeleton clenched his teeth shut and covered his mouth.

“She's just sensitive to loud noises. We'll find a way to keep that from being a problem though,” Doe smiled sympathetically, and they motioned for the skeleton to copy them, “Hold your arms like this. You're going to need to learn how to hold her.” The parent cocked their head, “And uh, we'll have to get you some blankets. Poor Jessie bruises like a peach.”

There was a sudden voice from behind the human, “well ain't that just 'peachy',” and Doe, completely unused to pranks across time and space, jumped a foot and let out a shout; poor Jessie nearly fell out of their arms, but thankfully Papyrus was there to keep the two of them upright. As Doe trembled and knocked their knees together, Sans strolled past them to look up at his brother with his hands in his hoodie's pockets.

“SANS! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!?” Papyrus nearly roared, picking up his brother and giving him a bear hug. Jessie continued to scream and Doe whirled around to face away from the crazy duo while they rocked their daughter back and forth and tried to keep their heart from attacking.

“around,” Sans replied, hanging limp in his brother's arms and smiling like a clown in a circus, “where have you been? aside from frisk's place.”

Papyrus continued to twirl Sans around in a circle as he explained. “THE HUMANS ARE ASKING ME TO BABYSIT. THEY ASSURED ME THAT I WILL NOT ACTUALLY BE SITTING ON ANY BABIES.”

“darn. woulda made a good pun about jessie jelly,” Sans replied with a wink. “you takin' them up on the offer?”

“WHY WOULD I NOT? FRISK WANTS ME TO CARE FOR HER, SO...”

Sans smiled up at Papyrus with a distant stare, “i dunno, bro. so you gunna learn how to hold the kid or are we gunna hug each other for another good minute?”

Papyrus stared at Sans for a moment before slowly letting him down. “...DOE SAYS I NEED SOME BLANKETS...”

“gotcha, bro. and remember, volume control.” Sans winked again. Doe, meanwhile, was whimpering and trying desperately to keep Jessie from passing out; the poor little girl was beet red and threatening to turn purple at this point. They really, really wished Frisk was here; their spouse had been the stay-at-home parent these past few months and knew more about Jessie's idiosyncrasies...

...Doe and Jessie both stopped for a moment when they heard a rattling sound. Doe turned and the two humans watched as Papyrus rattled all over like a giant toy. Bones certainly were... different... from actual rattles though, weren't they?

Despite that, while it did not make Jessie laugh or giggle, at least it caused her to be too busy watching the monster to continue crying. Papyrus made sure to keep his big mouth shut just long enough to get Jessie calm, and Doe let out a relieved sigh. “Thanks, Mr. Papyrus. Let's keep that up.”

“good job there,” Sans said, holding a few towels at Papyrus's side, “here you go, paps. just wrap 'em around yourself. don't want her to get too uncomfortable with all your rich calcium.”

Papyrus prepared to shout about how there really was nothing harder than him, but looking at Doe's sudden trembling (“Where in the world did that skeleton come from!?”) and Jessie's previous crying, he managed to keep his volume in check by not speaking at all. It seemed really hard to keep still, however, when Doe took a step forward and placed the wriggling child into the awaiting towel arms. “Ahh, remember, head up! There we go. Ahh, Ahhh...! Yes! Now, of course, most of the time you won't even have to do this. Jessie likes her sleep, after all.”

“human babies sleep most of the day, usually,” Sans explained. Doe looked at the skeleton before coughing.

“Y-yes. Well, uh... For now, just take your time. Get used to her. Can I talk with Mr. Sans?” Papyrus looked up, and Doe pointed at Sans and shrugged. The taller skeleton cocked his head, nodded, and turned to wander off into the kitchen.

It was then that Doe whirled around and pointed at Sans. “Okay. What are you even doing here?”

Sans's expression didn't even twitch. “i'm having a great time with my brother. babysitting's fun.”

Doe would not be deterred. “You've been avoiding Frisk for an entire year, and you *hate* me. Why are you suddenly here now?”

Sans stared at the human for a good minute. “hate you...?” Sans asked. He let out a low chuckle that turned into a full-blown laugh, “hate *you*? why would i hate you?”

Doe blinked, completely taken off guard, “...But when Frisk married me... that was when you stopped visiting.”

“look kid, i know it's really hard for humans to keep from thinking of themselves as the center of the universe, but sometimes, and get ready for your mind to be blown...” Sans leaned up on his tiptoes to whisper at Doe, “sometimes i do things and it's got nothing to do with you.”

This was getting nowhere, slowly, and Doe was beginning to claw at their face as Sans dropped back down and rocked on his heels. “Then why visit now? ...There's nothing special about today except... Wait. Frisk isn't... You're not visiting because of *them*?”

Sans rubbed at his cheekbone, clearly looking disinterested, “i gotta buncha stuff on my plate. sometimes its my bro's spaghetti, and that stuff can put you six feet under. not that i'd know about that, huh?” He flashed another winning smile that made Doe realize just why Papyrus screamed about his brother at work on some days. “i just wanna make sure my bro does this right. he really cares, you know.” Sans's smile was still there, but he was watching the door to the kitchen vacantly as he spoke, “the last thing i want is to see him mess up; it'll mess him up too. and you guys, and your kid. all of those things, at once. i may not be able to visit as much as i want to, but i care too in my own way.” Doe cocked their head and gave a slight smile just as Sans looked back at them, “besides, watching you jump like that was pretty humerous.”

...and Doe's smile cracked in half. “Th-thank you, I guess.”

“hey, kid, you're welcome. just take care of my bro, alright? and watch over your demon spawn baby.”

“Hah,” Doe said, chuckling at Sans's joke, “I'll be sure to...” The skeleton's vacant smile told the human only one thing, “you honestly think she's a demon spawn baby, don't you?”

Sans simply smiled at Doe and turned to look at the door to the kitchen as it opened. Doe turned to look as Papyrus walked out, and the skeleton trembled with giddy glee. “(I'M DOING MY BEST TO NOT TALK VERY LOUD,)” he stage whispered, which was probably the best he was going to get to, “(AND THUS DID JESSIE FALL ASLEEP TO MY SOOTHING SPAGHETTI SONG.)” Papyrus then blinked and looked around, “(EH? WHERE'S SANS?)”

Doe blinked, confused. “Huh? He's right here, next to...” Oh. No he wasn't. What a slippery skeleton. Instead, the human turned to shrug at Papyrus. “I guess he's busy. He said he had a lot on his plate.”

“(I LEFT A LOT OF SPAGHETTI FOR HIM WHEN I CAME HERE, PERHAPS HE WENT TO FINISH IT,)” Papyrus suggested.

Doe pursed their lips and sighed, a smile returning to their face, “Well then, let's just get you prepared. There's lots of other things that you'll need to know to take care of her, and I'm really sorry, but you're going to need to feed her something *other* than spaghetti.” Thank God.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys I'm really not good at punning on the spot so I felt really proud of the way I did Sans here. Also yes, Sans exists, and yes, he is here, and no, he is not telling you why he's been gone so long.
> 
> My friend asked me why Sans was being such a dick in this story and I said "Because he's a TIME DETECTIVE." Ahahahaha, get it? Ahaha-haha-haaaaaaaaaaaa.
> 
> (Also I display Papyrus' "shouting" with my inability to control my voice when I was excited as a child. It would either be too loud and people would tell me to stop shouting or too low for anyone to hear. Since Papyrus is always excited, I figured he is always unable to control his voice? *shrug*)


	6. Under a Starry Sky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans had been avoiding not Doe, but Frisk, all this time. If that was true, Frisk knew they had to confront their friend about it. They just hoped that the skeleton would be open to answering a few questions...

Doe seemed to be caught up in some thought experiments as both they and their spouse returned to work. Sans, true to his word, seemed to visit the household a lot when Papyrus was babysitting, but just like they assumed, the skeleton always seemed to be gone by the time the parents returned home. The only thing that proved he was there was Papyrus' insistence that it was so. “Is he really that mad?” Frisk asked one day as they went to prepare dinner.

“He said he had a lot on his plate. Could he really be that busy?” Doe asked as they tried not to cross their eyes at the paperwork they brought home that day.

Frisk blinked, and the knife was put by the wayside so they could turn around and wipe their hands of tomato juice. “He said that? Who told you that?”

“Huh?” Doe looked up from their work and scratched at their hair. “He did. When he visited. You had gone out and he and I taught Papyrus how to hold Jessie.”

“He talked with you? He came to this house with you still standing in it?” Frisk's eyes narrowed. “So wait, wasn't he not coming over because of...”

Doe plugged their nose to take on a more nasally tone to mimic the skeleton. “sometimes i do things and it has nothing to do with you. bet that just *blows your mind*, eh kiddo!?”

Frisk snorted, a smile on their face, “Then what the hell is he doing? What could he be possibly doing that would make him not talk to us for an entire year?”

“Yeah about that.” Doe kicked back on two of the chair's legs, and they looked at their spouse, “If he came to visit me, do you think it's more that he doesn't want to talk to *you*?”

There was silence for a moment as Frisk let this sink in, and they narrowed their eyes yet again. “It's me. He doesn't want to talk to *me*.”

“Did you do something to him?” Doe began grasping at straws, trying to figure out just what was going on, “What could possibly have made him angry with you?”

Frisk's eyes were tiny slits, so much so that when Papyrus last saw them like this, he mentioned they looked like they did when they were a child with broken glasses under Mt. Ebott. “...I have a slight idea. You wanna finish dinner? I think I might have something on my plate as well.” With that, they placed the torn lettuce in the bowl and strode with determination out of the kitchen.

\---

Despite not having seen Sans for an entire year, Frisk was absolutely certain that he knew exactly where they were at any given time; at least *that* was something that didn't change about their relationship. All they had to do was head out to a large tree in the park and settle down at the base.

Five minutes later, they heard a familiar voice on the other side. “you wanna talk? then talk.”

Well, at least they were on speaking terms. ...So to “speak”. Frisk let out a soft sigh, “Sans. Why. Why have you been avoiding me this whole year? It's not because of Jessie or Doe, right? What did I do? What can I do to apologize?” There was silence for a long moment, and Frisk stared up at the same night sky they watched together when Frisk was a child. “...I miss you.”

... ... ... ... “i do too...”

Frisk closed their eyes and took in a deep breath. The weight in their chest was huge, and they felt crushed to the ground. Was it Sans' magic, reacting to both of their emotional states? “Then tell me, Sans. Tell me what I did wrong.”

Sans didn't reply, not for a long while. The two simply stared up at the sky and the stars, and Frisk imagined what it would be like to be a monster, seeing these stars for the first time in their lives. It was so quiet that, for a moment, Frisk wondered if Sans was even there. The moment they shifted, however, Sans sucked in a breath. “just because things have turned out well doesn't mean i don't check the timelines, just to make sure. the way it branches...”

Oh no, not the timelines *again*. Was he serious!? The tone they took was accusatory and heated. “You're avoiding me for something I'll do in the future? Before I can even do it?” Frisk hugged themself, both in annoyance and in cold, “Isn't that a little petty?”

“this is all great fun. awesome. we're all pals. nothing could ever go wrong.” Sans sucked in another breath, and Frisk could hear him exhale for a good minute as he thought about how to go about his explanation. “but you can't handle it. how could you? you'll go as far as you can, see your children and grandchildren, and you'll get old, and you'll realize you don't want to die.”

Frisk trembled, staring at the night sky. The very thought of never being able to see their friends again. They left Jessie behind to comfort their family, but who would comfort *them* in their final hours...?

...Somehow, deep in their weighted, blue heart, they knew that Sans was completely correct. “You think I'll go back,” they murmured, so softly they were surprised they could hear it themselves.

“i know humans, kid. everything you've written, every scientific achievement, if it's not devoted to killing each other, it's turning back the clock, and you have that power. you have that ability.” Sans let that sink in as Frisk felt their eyes filling with tears.

“I'm- I won't... I don't want to go back,” they said, and they tried to will themself to believe it. “I want you to all have... a great life together.”

He didn't wait this time to respond. “you're young. sure, you don't want to now, but what's stopping you when you're old?”

“I won't!” Frisk said forcefully, rubbing at their eyes angrily, “You have your own lives...! I wouldn't just take that from you!”

“you say. that. now.”

Frisk pulled their legs up and curled into them. They thought about it for a moment and decided to see what he would say. “...Did you see it then...? Me going back?”

“when someone messes with time, things get real wonky. i can reach out and see where things diverge.” Sans went quiet, and Frisk turned to see that he had cocked his head. “in a sense. it gets worse at the points where you go back. things you did differently. because you almost always do things differently.”

“Differently? What do I do differently?”

“i don't see *specifics*, just, if you didn't, then there wouldn't be so many divergences, now would there?” Well, he had a point... The skeleton scratched at his skull as he continued. “i'm sure one of those timelines will eventually, someday, lead to you accepting your fate and letting things continue, but there are so many where you *don't*.”

Frisk took the time to wipe the rest of their tears away. Sans seemed pretty open to answering questions, so they just had to keep 'em coming until something made an ounce of sense. “Then why avoid me? Why tell me? What's going on in that thick skull of yours, Sans?”

A chuckle came from the skeleton. “oh, are we punning now? you should have told me, i'd be sure to pull out my most fibula-s jokes.”

“Yeah well, I can hardly stand sitting around without hearing some of your gentle ribbing.”

“i suppose i'll just have to get past my assumptions and present you with some more in the future, am i right?”

Frisk crawled around the tree and drew up the skeleton's hoodie, practically slamming it over his face as they laughed joyously, “Ohhh! Someday I'll beat you at your own game!”

“oh, so *that's* why there's so many divergences.” Sans said, completely blinded and not moving an inch. Frisk watched his smile widen, and he looked at them despite the hoodie in his eyes. “...i uh... i wanted to say though, kid. i'm trying really hard to trust you. i want to. so much. i'm telling you this because i want you to think about it. maybe... maybe it'll make you think twice about restarting. we deserve a full life too.”

“I will, I promise.” Frisk reached out and pulled Sans' hoodie back up and smiled at him with a gentle face. “I want you to be happy. I want all of you to be happy.” There were no words that they knew of to express how much they loved each and every one of them. “I don't want to go back. I swear.” 

Sans sucked in a deep, deep breath, and when he released it, it sounded like the weight of the world slid off of his shoulders. He looked sleepy, tired, when he smiled back at Frisk. “i...i'll trust you.”

“Just like I trust you to take care of Jessie~” Frisk replied in a singsong tone.

Sans looked away, the grin still widely apparent, “oh yeah, the demon kid.”

“Stop calling Jessie a demon!” Frisk shouted good-naturedly, grabbing the skeleton in a headlock, “Oh my god, I'll noogie you so hard!”

Sans struggled only a little bit, chuckling all the while. “hey kid ow i'm sorry! guess i know who she takes after though...”

Frisk made sure to noogie *extra* hard for that one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentine's Day! What? You mean there's no make outs? I know, it's almost as if love can be shown in multiple ways. *Crazy*, am I right?
> 
> Anyway, Sans is a paranoid little guy, but he wants to trust his friend so much. Perhaps that's all you can do, when it comes down to it, is trust and hope.


End file.
